So many of the most quotable moments from Clueless (“you’re a virgin who can’t drive!”) were uttered by the film’s late star Brittany Murphy, who played Beverly Hills’ favorite fish-out-of-water, Tai. A decade after Murphy’s death, her Clueless co-stars only have the sweetest things to say about the actress.
Murphy died in 2009, at age 32, under somewhat strange circumstances. Her official cause of death was “pneumonia, anemia, and an accidental mix of prescription and over-the-counter pills.” Her husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack, died five months later, also of pneumonia.
Speaking at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo on Sunday, Alicia Silverstone — who played Cher Horowitz, the character loosely based on Jane Austen’s titular matchmaker from the novel Emma — revealed that she pushed hard for Murphy to land the role of Tai.
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"That was incredible. I remember just being blown away by what she did in the room and thinking I had to tell [writer/director Amy Heckerling] just in case she didn’t know that Brittany Murphy was the one that had to play the part,” Silverstone said. “I’m sure they figured that out on their own.”
Franklin & Bash actor Breckin Meyer, who played Tai’s love interest in the film, also shared kind words.
“She was so incredibly talented,” said Meyer. “Ridiculously talented. Like, you see [her in Clueless], and then you watch 8 Mile, and you’re like, 'That’s the same person?'"
Offstage, the Clueless cast shared love for their former Bronson Alcott High homies.
"So much fun hanging out with these boys today #paulrudd@donald_aison and @breckinmeyer! They had me laughing so hard on our panel. Such a great day at #c2e2," wrote Silverstone on a group pic with her castmates.
Missing from the reunion was Stacey Dash, who played Dionne and completed the trifecta along with Tai and Cher.
In her last interview, with Fox News' Pop Tarts, Murphy mentioned her Clueless co-stars.
"I haven’t spoken to [my Clueless co-stars] in a long time, but I still keep in contact with Amy Heckerling, the director," Murphy said. "So funny, but it was hard to get a job for two years after that, everyone thought I was really Tai."
A Clueless remake is reportedly in the works — though it's hard to imagine anyone could play Tai quite as well as Murphy did.